When dogs are afraid of other dogs, it is usually due to a lack of socialization. Under certain circumstances, existing trauma, sensory overload, violent upbringing or even illness can also be responsible.
You can usually recognize this type of fear by the following signs:
- Run away: When faced with fear, dogs instinctively respond by either fighting or fleeing. The latter is usually their first choice.
- Aggression: If escape is not possible, the four-legged friends often react unusually aggressively towards other dogs.
- Retracted rod: If the dog's tail is between its legs, it usually indicates fear and insecurity.
- Tremble: When you are very afraid, so much adrenaline is released that the muscles contract slightly.
- Hide: Fearful dogs often hide behind their master or objects when other dogs are present.
- Beeping: Dogs often communicate existing fears by whining and whining loudly.
- Indifference: In the presence of other dogs, your four-legged friend suddenly gives up treats or even his favorite toy
- Lip licking: Licking the lips is a protective mechanism that shows other dogs their submissiveness. [2]
The first step is to find out why your dog is afraid of other dogs. Because that determines which methods work best.
For this reason, below you will learn about the 7 most common causes and what to do in specific cases.
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#1 Lack of socialization
If dogs are not used to people or other animals at an early age, they often become very shy or react unusually aggressively.
Free-living dogs are automatically socialized in nature because they always live in packs and automatically run into other animals.
Things are different with domestic dogs. Here the master's lifestyle determines the degree of socialization. The only solution? Catch up on socialization.
Admittedly. At a young age it is much easier and more effective to get a dog used to contact with strange dogs. As you get older, however, it takes a little longer. [3]
So if your dog is afraid of other dogs, you should gradually accustom him to the perceived “threat”. How?
- 1) Identify tolerance threshold: Walk towards a strange dog from a distance with your dog on a leash and pay attention to the distance from which he becomes afraid.
- 2) Keep your distance: Stay at this distance with your dog until he feels comfortable. You can also play with him during this.
- 3) Reduce tolerance threshold: Then move around 20% closer and repeat steps 2 and 3 until your dog can be around others without fear. [4]
The same tactic also helps if your dog is afraid of strangers, cars, motorcycles or strollers. The only important thing is that you go slowly.
A lack of socialization at a young age can cause even large and strong dogs to become fearful of other dogs. Here it is important to get the dog used to contact with other four-legged friends step by step.
#2 Sensory overload
Dog owners often forget that dogs' sensory organs are many times better than those of humans. Here are the facts:
- Dogs can see around themselves at an angle of up to 270° and see around 5 times brighter than humans, even at night. [5]
- Depending on the breed, dogs' sense of smell is up to 100,000 times better than that of humans. Under optimal conditions, you can smell up to 20 km away. [6]
- Dogs' ears can detect ultrasonic frequencies that are inaudible to humans. They can also hear up to four times further than we can. [7]
Or to put it another way: dogs notice thousands of things non-stop that we can neither hear, see nor smell. This means that sensory overload occurs much more quickly.
The fear of other dogs can simply be due to the fact that your dog is perceiving too many stimuli at that moment. Classic examples are here:
- Stays at the dog park
- Life in densely populated cities
- Large crowds
- Unfamiliar environment
The solution? Reduce the number of stimuli by introducing your dog to contact with a single dog in a secluded and quiet area. [8]
You can then repeat the same thing in a more hectic environment with more people. And finally with several dogs.
The easiest way is to start with a familiar dog. As soon as your dog sees that his “friend” gets along with other dogs, it also reduces his own fear.
Since dogs' sensory organs are superior to ours in almost all areas, they experience sensory overload much more quickly. This can cause them to suddenly become afraid of other dogs. Here it is important to gradually increase the number of stimuli.
#3 Existing traumas
Trauma is a severe form of anxiety disorder that is primarily triggered by past and traumatic experiences. Dogs react here in the same way as humans.
For example, if your dog has been attacked and injured by another dog in the past, this may also affect his behavior in the future.
In addition, from a hormonal perspective, dogs go through two phases in which they are more anxious than usual. The first phase is between the 8th and 10th weeks of life.
The second phase takes place between 6 and 14 months, depending on the breed. During these time frames, even small things can have a big impact. [9]
The problem? Your dog associates other four-legged friends with pain and a negative experience. The fear of other dogs is simply a protective mechanism.
The solution? Make sure your dog increasingly associates contact with other dogs with something positive. Best practices are here:
- Give your dog extra attention during contact
- Give your dog a treat both before and during contact
- When interacting with other dogs, unpack your favorite toy
The latter is only recommended if the other dog is not a territorial breed. Otherwise it can lead to tension and aggressive behavior.
You should also be patient and consistent here. Because it can take a while for your dog to associate contact with other dogs with a reward. [10]
Traumatic experiences from the past can cause dogs to be afraid of other dogs and want to escape out of self-protection. The aim here is to gradually transform the negative association into a positive one through treats, attention and toys.
#4 Violence in education
If you ask dog owners whether they train their dogs using violence, 10 out of 10 owners will clearly say no. But the reality looks different.
Because violence can not only take place physically, but also verbally. This is especially true for very sensitive breeds. This includes:
- Labrador retrievers
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Border collie - Great Dane
- Australian Shepherd
- Golden retrievers
- American Pit Bull Terrier [11]
And yes, sensitivity doesn't necessarily have anything to do with size. Here, fear of other dogs is usually a sign of insecurity.
Because the owner has already reacted physically or verbally aggressively in the past, the dog tends to want to avoid such a reaction. [12]
The solution? Focus primarily on positive feedback methods during training. Examples of these include treats, toys and of course attention and affection.
I recently learned in a seminar that dogs pick up on their master's energy. It is important to remain calm when in contact with other four-legged friends.
Verbal or physical violence in training can cause dogs to want to avoid potentially problematic situations completely. Among other things, they often react with strong fear due to their insecurity in front of other dogs.
#5 Unintentional training error
There are two basic things to consider when training dogs:
- Dogs repeat behavior that gets rewarded.
- Dogs avoid behavior that will be punished.
This basic rule explains around 90% of all training errors. Fear of other dogs can also be unintentionally learned. Typical examples of these are:
- After your dog runs away from another dog or reacts aggressively, he will be rewarded with attention and treats.
- You scold your dog because he gets excited when he comes into contact with other dogs, starts to play, or gets scared. [13]
The solution? Reward your four-legged friend with attention before they come into contact with other dogs. At the same time, you should react neutrally to anxious behavior.
In some cases, dog owners avoid any confrontations with other dogs in order to “spare” their own dog from them. But the fear always remains.
Because the uncomfortable truth is that fears only go away when you face them. A proactive approach is therefore the best choice.
Out of ignorance, many dog owners train their dogs to be afraid of other dogs. It is important to consistently give the right feedback so that the dog associates contact with other dogs with something positive in the future.
#6 Submissiveness
It is completely normal and makes sense for dogs to behave submissively towards more dominant four-legged friends. Because dogs instinctively form hierarchies.
They inherited this from wolves, their ancestors. Because wolves and other wild dogs always live in a hierarchy in which the alpha has the say.
Then come the Betas, Deltas and at the bottom of the hierarchy are the Omegas. The Omegas are therefore also the ones who are the most submissive.
The fear of dogs comes from the fact that your dog automatically incorrectly classifies itself as an Omega. Typical causes of this are:
- Low self-confidence
- Violent handling
- Dog was the lowest ranked member of the litter
- Existing trauma
- Very small breed of dog [14]
The good news? Confidence is not a character trait, but a skill that can be learned. So it’s important to be proactive here. Best practices for this are:
- Teach tricks and praise them for them
- Avoid negative feedback methods
- Overcome existing fears
- Praise your dog in the presence of other dogs
I can also recommend Johanna Esser’s online dog school on this topic. There you will find, among other things, a module that is exclusively dedicated to this topic.
Some dogs instinctively place themselves at the lowest position in the hierarchy. This automatically puts them ahead of everyone else…